Relatable Feelings

We convince the goblins by talking to Ean and they will move to Pepprica's place soon.

As they start helping Pepprica, people come to look at them and the goblins start to have a favourable opinion in Liasr Town.

Then the fight with Fiend Kraken happens. But with the power of the adventurers, we manage to defeat it without any single causality.

People start cheering for joy. Some of them even thank the goblin kids for helping them in preparing the potions.

Guild Master then announces that the goblins will become part of the town. No one object to that.

Ean and other goblin kids then cry for joy after finally being accepted by people in Liasr Town.

... How I wish things would go that smoothly.

"Sigh..."

I sigh as I walk after leaving Liasr Town together with Miika who is bringing the bag containing our belongings.

"What's wrong?"

Miika says that while looking at my face with confused expression.

"Nothing much. I think I'm too tired that I starts hallucinating on how my life will get so easy in the future."

I usually drink vitamin drinks whenever I feel tired back in my previous world.

I tried searching for similar thing in Liasr Town and found a similar drink called Dash Extract in Pepprica's store. It's a reinforced-glass bottle filled with brown liquid. However, Pepprica forbade me from buying it because it is not for kids.

... but I feel like I really need it especially in time like this where I can't really see anything that will go easy for me.

"It would be helpful if Ean and others can accept Guild Master's offer though..."

Miika looks even more confused after hearing my statement.

"? Guild Master's offer is to help them get accepted in the town. Wouldn't they happily accept it?"

"... yeah, I hope."

I reply Miika's question with unsure tone.

Guild Master's quest is basically asking outsider like me to meddle with problem involving persecution towards the Goblin race.

I look at the forest besides the road I'm currently walking.

... maybe because I am an outsider that he can rest assured that I don't view them with the same biased view from locals living in Liasr Town.

But I think that the Guild Master's plan is a bit of a stretch.

He said that he shall use the fact that the goblins helping the adventurers to convince the locals to accept them... I don't think it will be that easy.

... maybe it's because I failed to save my mother, my view of life stops being as optimistic as how I used to be.

I'll decide on the next course of action after hearing the goblins's responses.

Miika and I continue walking towards the goblin village while being careful about our surroundings.

.....

....

...

"Guild Master said that...?"

Ean look towards the other goblin kids with worried look.

Yup. Called it. It's not going to be easy at all.

Miika and I are currently at the front of the Goblins' village. It seems that they already starts fixing some of their tents. They even put wooden fences... which are quite sloppily made. But it's probably the best they can do for now.

Miika, who is currently behind me, steps forward and talks to Ean.

"If you help Pepprica in creating the potion, Guild Master will make sure that the goblins can live in Liasr-"

"There is no way that would happen."

Someone behind Ean immediately cut Miika's sentence by saying that. It surprises not only Miika but also Ean and me.

The source of the voice comes from a goblin boy behind Ean.

His voice sounds familiar... I guess? I only remember Ean out of all goblins that I ever met.

That goblin boy looks at Miika with hostile eyes.

"Help? From you? You must be joking."

After saying that with mocking tone, another goblin boy come towards the one who said that.

"Dhilli, cut it out-"

But the hostile goblin boy immediately look at the other goblin boy.

"What are you saying Milua?! He is that Panthos' human slave you know! You should have known just how much atrocity that Panthos guy had done to us!!"

"!?"

Miika is shocked after realizing the reason of Dhilli's hostility. Miika then looks away with guilt.

"W- wait Dhilli, he's-"

Before Ean finishes her sentence, that Dhilli goblin cut her sentence.

"No! I'm not going to stop! If anyone won't say it, then I'll say it! That man accused us for being a filthy race and made everyone in that town looked at us with disgusts! We got kicked out because of him!"

... yup, not going to retort about that dead man who somehow become the so-called source of all evil in Liasr Town.

Dhilli continues talking while looking at Miika with angry eyes.

"If Goblin race cannot live there, then why human can!? They should get worse treatment since they killed way more people than our race did!"

The goblin kids starts becoming speechless at Dhilli's outrage. Some of them (except Dhilli, Ean and Milua) look down.

So even those kids know about the beastmen incident.

I can see Miika's shoulders trembling.

Dhilli then points at Miika while shouting.

"And yet this human lives nonchalantly inside the town! Why only him!"

I start speaking before things get out of hand.

"Because he is Panthos' slave.... and a human. You can't accept him?"

Everyone looks at me with surprise as if they never expect me to talk. Including Miika who is looking at me with his usual confused expression.

Few seconds later, Dhilli replies with firm tone.

"That's right."

I put my right hand to my right waist before replying back.

"Then you are no better than them."

"Them?"

Confused by my statement, Dhilli can only say that to ask whom I referred to.

I make sure to look at Dhilli in the eyes before talking again.

"Those guys who think that all goblins are filthy creatures."

"!?"

Dhilli's eyes widen out of shock from hearing my statement. He's not the only one who is shocked. Everyone around me is also shocked by my statement.

"Wha...! NO! I'M NOT THE SAME AS-"

I cut his sentence just like what Dhilli did before.

"YES, YOU ARE. You basically blame Miika even though the ones who is at fault is that Panthos guy. How is that different from the people who regards all of you filthy just because your race is goblin?"

I points at Miika while talking because I don't think all of them know his name yet.

I stops pointing at Miika before talking to Dhilli again.

"I don't know what kind of hardship you all have gone. But having a hard life does not give you excuse to direct your anger at innocent people."

"SHUT UP! SHUT UP!!"

Dhilli shouts like a kid throwing a tantrum. Well, he is technically a kid.

Then he shouts towards me.

"IF NOT FOR THAT MAN! FATHER AND MOTHER WOULDN'T HAVE...!"

Dhilli clenches his fist as if he is about attack me.

But I won't back down. This is the part where I should say my point clearly. For him and for my own self.

Thus I says...

"You can shout all you want..."

Not only Dhilli, but everyone else who have their attention at me pause before I talk further.

"But your parents' lives won't come back."

"!?"

Everyone else is shocked by what I said. It is an obvious truth but they probably never expect me to say it so bluntly.

I am not done talking yet so I continue talking.

"And you won't be able to change the fact that you are from goblin race."

"S- Shion..."

Miika who is behind me starts talking as if he wants me to stop. But I won't stop talking.

"There is one thing in your life that you cannot change. That is the past."

I remember how I fail to save my mother and the maids when I say that phrase.

"And the thing in your life that you can't run away from. That is yourself."

I remember how I lost my previous life as I say that.

"That is the reality. It is true not only for you but also for all of us."

Dhilli loosens his clenched fist while I am still talking.

"I don't know how you will face the reality nor do I care about it. But if I were you, I won't waste my time blaming someone knowing that complaining alone won't improve my situation."

"..."

All goblin kids are silent after hearing my statement. Milua and Ean look down thinking about something.

Dhilli can only look away in silence after I say that.

... I guess there is no point in staying here anymore.

"Let's go, Miika."

"! B- but..."

Miika replies with unsure tone but I continue walking away. Miika looks at me and then at the goblin kids. In the end, he follows me leaving the silent goblins.

.....

....

...

Few minutes after that, Miika and I are walking inside the forest.

... I end up lecturing them about their unreasonable hatred.

Me, who unreasonably hates male, of all people.

"Sigh..."

I can only sigh after remembering how pretentious I was.

This is why I dislike lecturing other people when I am not better than them myself.

This makes it harder for me to ask them for help. I mess up again huh...

"Shion!"

I can hear Ean's voice from behind. Miika and I turn around to see Ean who is running towards us.

"Phew... Thank goodness..."

She says that even though she does not look tired at all after approaching us.

She immediately talk again while looking at me.

"Guild Master's offer... we'll accept it."

"... Are you okay with that?"

I look at Ean's expression while saying that.

Ean looks down a bit before replying.

"To be honest... I am bit scared. Back when my parents were still alive, they begged many towns to take us in. The way how people shouts at us still scares me... we weren't even allowed to live near the town. The time when the Mr. Stephanie allowed us to live here was a miracle in itself."

It sounds like the people in Liasr Town did not accept the goblins but the Guild Master allow them to live near the town.

Ean then puts her left hand on to her right arm before speaking further.

"But... we are at limit already. We already try to create countermeasures against monsters but we can't do much with only kids. If another monster attack again next time, we will most likely..."

Ean does not complete her sentence and becomes quiet.

After few seconds of silence, Ean looks at me with determined eyes.

"That's why... I'll do my best to convince them. So please tell the Guild Master that we agree to his offer!"

"... I understand. I'll tell him that."

Ean's face brightens up after hearing my reply.

"Thank you! Thank you so much Shion!"

Ean suddenly holds both my hand using both of her hands.

"Say that to me after you guys start living in that town."

I notice Miika who is smiling after hearing my reply towards Ean.

Ean then notice Miika behind me. She let go of my hands and bow a little bit towards Miika.

"And I'm really sorry about before! Dhilli didn't mean bad. He's just-"

"It's fine."

Ean looks at Miika after he says that. Miika then speaks again.

"I don't mind it at all. So please raise your head."

"Miika..."

Ean looks at Miika apologetically, but time is limited so I talk to Ean.

"If that's all, then we would like to go back to guild soon..."

"Ah, about that... may I ask for you a favour?"

Ean looks at both of us while saying that. Miika looks confused and I'm the one who immediately reply.

"What favour?"

Ean thinks for a bit before saying more.

"I am already prepared to be hated if it's to protect my friends... but I want to know about something so that I can prepare myself. Whether that rumour is true or not..."

"What kind of rumour?"

Surprisingly, Miika replies to Ean before I can reply.

I live there for a few weeks already but Miika will probably know more about rumours in Liasr Town.

Ean immediately replies to Miika's question.

"Do you guys remember about the lady with you back when we met previously?"

"... you meant Griselda?"

I'm the one who reply this time.

I remember meeting Ean and the other male goblin while escorting Griselda together with Miika.

Ean nods before talking.

"Yeah. Her."

"What about her?"

I say that while thinking that I never hear any rumour about her before.

Ean says the next sentence with serious and concerned tone.

"I heard that... her party members were killed by goblins before."